The Four Cups of Wine are placed on the Seder table when preparing for the Seder meal. Each of the 4 Cups of Wine are featured at different points in the Seder according to the order of the rituals contained in the 15 ordered Steps for conducting the Seder as contained in the Haggadah guidebook. At each of these different points, one of the 4 Cups is filled with kosher-for-Passover red wine, and at subsequent points during the Seder, the cup most recently filled with kosher-for-Passover red wine is drunk by the participants.

When Are The Four Cups Of Wine Drunk During The Seder ?

The First Cup of Wine is drunk immediately following the recitation of the Kiddush ["Sanctification (of G-d by the Hebrews)" in Hebrew]; The Second Cup of Wine is drunk immediately following the recitation of the main section of the Haggadah, that is, following the recitation of the Passover/Pesach story; The Third Cup of Wine is drunk immediately following the "Birkat Ha-Mazon" ("Grace After Meals" in Hebrew) blessing, and The Fourth Cup of Wine is drunk immediately following the singing of songs of praise to G-d, which are collectively known as Hallel ("Praise" in Hebrew).

Why 4 Cups of Wine and what do each of the 4 Cups of Wine symbolize ? Each of the Four Cups of Wine symbolize - and, in a sense, is a toast to - one of the four promises made to the Hebrews by G-d as told by G-d to Moses in the biblical book of Shemot or Exodus, in Shemot 6:6-7 or Exodus 6:6-7, concerning how G-d will bring the Hebrews out of Egypt:

The First Cup of Wine

"I will bring you out (or take you out) from under the bondage (or burden) of the Egyptians."

The Second Cup of Wine

"I will redeem you (or save you) from their bondage (or burden)."

The Third Cup of Wine

"I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments."

The Fourth Cup of Wine

"I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a G-d; and you shall know that I am the L-rd your G-d, who brought you out from under the bondage (or burdens) of the Egyptians."

Immediately following these four expressions that G-d stated to Moses and the Hebrews, there is a fifth promise made by G-d to Moses and the Hebrews as told in Shemot or Exodus 6:8 : "And I will bring you in unto (or simply, to) the land, concerning which I lifted up My hand to give it (or which I promised) to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for a heritage (or as an inheritance)". Since Passover or Pesach and the Seder are annual events, the purpose of associating the Four Cups of Wine to G-ds' promises to the Hebrews to release them from bondage in Egypt is to annually reinforce the concept of one's political and physical freedom being associated with belief and faith in the Oneness and power of G-d to achieve these goals.

The fifth expression made by G-d to the Hebrews as stated in the previous paragraph is represented by a fifth cup of wine at the Seder table: the Cup of Elijah which, like the four cups of wine, is filled with kosher-for-Passover red wine, but unlike the four cups of wine, is not drunk: although we honor this 5th expression made by G-d by filling a cup of wine, its promise of having all the Hebrews/Jewish people ultimately reside in Israel has not been completely fulfilled as of yet, since there are Jewish people who still live outside of Israel to this day; therefore, we do not drink from the 5th Cup of Wine. What is the connection between the fifth cup of wine, Elijah the Prophet, and the bringing of all Hebrews/Jewish people to the Land of Israel? Since not all of the Hebrews/Jewish people have returned to the Land of Israel on a permanent basis, the fifth cup of Elijah symbolizes the hope that this will occur as soon as possible ("speedily in our days" as it is said) by having Elijah the Prophet arrive on earth to announce - according to Jewish tradition - that the arrival of the Messiah ("Moshiach" in Hebrew), and hence, of Messianic Times, where all Hebrews/Jewish people will be brought to and reside permanently in the Land of Israel by the Messiah, the Third Temple will be built in Jerusalem by G-d, and peace, justice, and tranquility will reign supreme for all, will be imminent.

According to Jewish tradition, Elijah the Prophet also visits every Seder on Seder night to wish all participants at the Seder table a year of peace, and as a preparation for his eventual coming to announce the imminent arrival of the Messiah. This is another reason why we set a fifth cup of wine on the Seder table: it is for Elijah, and it is also the reason why just before the specific point in the Seder when Elijah the Prophet is mentioned, we open the door of the household and stand up from our seats at the Seder table to welcome Elijah into the household and then sit down again after the door is closed. Since G-d wishes not only joy and redemption for the Hebrews/Jewish people, but for all humanity, we invoke the spirit of Elijah the Prophet to enter our household on Seder night to renew our hope that peace, joy, and redemption will come to all people on earth.

Besides commemorating the four expressions of redemption by G-d, which is the most popular reason for having 4 Cups of Wine at the Seder, there are other reasons that have been put forth as to why we drink 4 Cups of Wine at the Seder table:

In the biblical Book of Bereshit or Genesis (Bereshit or Genesis 40:11-13), a Midrashic explanation (an explanation given by a Jewish Sage) states that the phrase "Cup of Wine" was mentioned 4 times in a dream that the King (Pharaoh) of Egypt had, and these 4 Cups of Wine represented the freedom that the Hebrews were to obtain later on in the Exodus story.

Another explanation as to why we drink 4 Cups of Wine at the Seder table states that the 4 Cups of Wine symbolize the 4 decrees instituted by the Pharaoh on the Hebrews from which the Hebrews were liberated:

(1) The law which commanded all the Hebrews to labor as slaves for the Egyptians (Shemot or Exodus 1:11).

(2) The law which commanded all Hebrew midwives to murder all the male offspring of the Hebrew women (Shemot or Exodus 1:15-16).

(3) The law which commanded all newborn Hebrew males to be thrown into the Nile River (Shemot or Exodus 1:22).

(4) The law which commanded the Hebrews to collect their own straw to make the bricks that were used in building store-houses and cities for the Pharaoh, instead of being given the straw by the Egyptians (Shemot or Exodus 5:6-11).

Another explanation states that the 4 Cups of Wine symbolize the Hebrews'/Jewish peoples' freedom from the 4 Exiles that they have experienced:

(1) the Egyptian Exile, beginning with Joseph having been sold into slavery by his half-brothers (all except one - Benjamin - were half-brothers to Joseph) to a band of Ishmaelites who took Joseph to Egypt. Later on, all the Hebrews - meaning all 12 tribes of Hebrews, led by the patriarch Jacob - also known as Israel - emigrated to Egypt from Canaan to escape a severe famine.

(2) the Babylonian Exile, when the Babylonians conquered the Kingdom of Judah in either 587 B.C.E. or 586 B.C.E. (or 421 B.C.E. or 420 B.C.E. according to the Jewish calendar's dates being translated into Gregorian calendar dates), and deported most of the Jewish inhabitants of the Kingdom of Judah back to Babylonia, leaving only a remnant behind.

(3) the Greek Exile, when the Syrian-Greek King Antiochus Epiphanes IV conquered Judea in 169 B.C.E. and then, two years later in 167 B.C.E., tried to force the Jewish people in Judea to abandon their culture and religion and instead adhere to Greek or Hellenistic ways, including their culture and paganistic religion. This caused many steadfast adherents to Judaism to flee to exile in the Judean hills (1 Maccabees 1:53, 1 Maccabees 2:28-30).

(4) the contemporary Exile, in which many Jewish people still live outside of Israel, and which we soon hope to overcome with the arrival of Moshiach (the "Messiah" in Hebrew).

In Kabbalah, or Jewish mystical thinking, there are four "klipot" - or "shells" or "husks", which are anti-divinity forces or "evil forces" - that were created by G-d for the purpose of giving freedom of choice to humans by bringing evil into existence as an alternative to goodness so that goodness can be recognized and as a result, be a choice that one can make, and during the Passover/Pesach festival, we celebrate our freedom, which includes our liberation from these 4 forces of klipah or anti-divinity.

Many explanations have been given concerning the deeper meaning of the four biblical expressions from Shemot or Exodus 6:6-7 that G-d made to the Hebrews. One interpretation is as follows:

The First Cup of Wine

"I will bring you out (or take you out) from under the bondage (or burden) of the Egyptians."

Meaning of the First Cup of Wine expression: G-d intended to deliver the Hebrews from the severity of their labor, beginning with the first of the Ten Plagues.

The recitation of the Kiddush ["Sanctification (of G-d by the Hebrews)" in Hebrew] and the subsequent drinking of the First Cup of Wine is the first commandment or mitzvah of the evening which formally opens the Seder. Therefore, the one who recites the Kiddush must be careful not to begin the recitation of the Kiddush until immediately after either sunset or nightfall (the end of the sunset period) has arrived (which is when the Jewish day begins), depending on the authoritative rabbinical opinion one follows concerning when the Jewish day begins (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 472:1; Mishnah Berurah 472:5).

The Second Cup of Wine

"I will redeem you (or save you) from their bondage (or burden)."

Meaning of the Second Cup of Wine expression: This expression refers to the exact day and time that the Hebrews actually left Egypt, and entered the town of Rameses or Ramses; therefore, the moment they left Egypt and entered Rameses or Ramses, the Hebrews were delivered from their servitude to the Egyptians.

The Third Cup of Wine

"I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments."

Meaning of the Third Cup of Wine expression: When the "Sea of Reeds" or the "Reed Sea" ("Yam Suf" in Hebrew) was parted, and after the Hebrews completely escaped the Egyptian army following their passage through the sea, then returning the sea walls together once the Egyptian army went into the parted sea after them, drowning all of them, it was at that point that the Hebrews felt totally redeemed, without fear of the Egyptian army capturing them and returning them to Egypt.

The Fourth Cup of Wine

"I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a G-d; and you shall know that I am the L-rd your G-d, who brought you out from under the bondage (or burdens) of the Egyptians."

Meaning of the Fourth Cup of Wine expression: This expression refers to the "marriage" of G-d and the Hebrews that was sealed with the covenant at Mount Sinai 50 days after the Exodus from Egypt, resulting in the formation of the Hebrews into one nation borne out of a loose confederation of twelve tribes.

When are the 4 Cups of Wine Drunk at the Seder ?

According to the Shulchan Aruch or Shulkhan Arukh (meaning "Prepared Table" in Hebrew), an important 16th century codification of Jewish law by the eminent Portuguese Rabbi Yosef Karo, the Four Cups of Wine are obligated to be drunk in the specific order that they were prescribed by the Talmudic rabbis who developed the 15-Step process for the Seder as outlined in the Haggadah. In addition, the Four Cups of Wine must be drunk at the specified points in the Haggadah that were also prescribed by the Talmudic rabbis (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 472:8).

Importance of Using Wine for the 4 Cups

The Talmudic rabbis stressed that even if one might have some physical discomfort, one should make a special effort to drink the Four Cups of Wine rather than drinking grape juice (Nedarim 49b, Orach Chayim 472:10). However, one should not go to the point of making oneself sick by drinking wine instead of grape juice for the 4 Cups (Talmud, Mishnah Berurah 472:35, Teshuvot V'Hanhagot 2:243).

If one chooses to use grape juice instead of wine for the 4 Cups, then the Talmudic rabbis stated that it is preferable to mix some wine into the grape juice before drinking the 4 Cups. If for some reason one does not have any wine or grape juice available, then one can use any beverage that one customarily uses to serve other people or that one customarily drinks; in both cases, even when one is not thirsty, for the 4 Cups of Wine (Talmud, Mishnah Berurah 472:37, Igrot Moshe, Orach Chayim 2:75). This type of customary beverage is known in Hebrew as "Chamar Medina".

Wine For The 4 Cups

There is kosher wine and there is kosher-for-Passover wine. With rare exceptions, kosher-for-Passover wine is simply a subset of kosher wine. This means that kosher-for-Passover wine adheres to all the rules in Jewish law that are necessary for making kosher wine, but adds a few more restrictions for the Passover/Pesach festival. Only kosher-for-Passover wine can be used for the Passover/Pesach festival. Additional restrictions for making kosher wine that is also kosher-for-Passover include using yeast that was not grown from any of the five forbidden grains for Passover/Pesach: barley, oats, rye, spelt, and wheat. Examples of permitted yeasts include yeast that was grown from sugar and fruit. Contrary to what many sources say concerning a ban on "leavening" for Passover/Pesach, there is no ban on leavening, just a ban on using any one of the five forbidden grains (except when making matzo, in which case one must use any one of the five forbidden grains by Jewish law, as matzo is unleavened bread in any case) as well as any product derived from any one of the five forbidden grains. Therefore, fermentation and the use of yeast for making kosher-for-Passover wine - as long as none of the five forbidden grains are used in the process - is permitted.

Type Of Kosher-for-Passover Wine Used For The Four Cups : Boiled or Cooked ("Mevushal" in Hebrew) Or Not Cooked Wine?

According to a work of Jewish law known as the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 77:6; "Kitzur" means "Abbreviated" in Hebrew), by the 19th century Hungarian-Jewish Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried, it is considered preferable to use non-mevushal wine (wine that was non-cooked or non-boiled in its production; "Mevushal" means either "cooked" or "boiled" in Hebrew) for the 4 Cups of Wine at the Seder. In Jewish law, non-mevushal wine is wine that can only be produced by Sabbath-observing Orthodox-Jewish males who are under the strict supervision of a qualified Orthodox-Jewish rabbi throughout the entire wine-making process, from the crushing of the grapes up to and including the bottling and sealing of the wine. After the bottle is sealed, anyone can handle the wine, whether they be a Sabbath-observing or non-Sabbath-observing Jewish person, or of any other faith, but after the seal of the non-mevushal wine bottle is opened, the non-mevushal wine can only be handled and served by a Sabbath-observing Orthodox-Jewish male in order for the non-mevushal wine to remain kosher and hence, kosher-for-Passover.

Red Wine Or White Wine For The Four Cups

According to the Shulchan Aruch, although white wine can be used, red wine is preferable (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 472:11). Using white wine for the 4 Cups instead of red wine was a solution created in the Middle Ages by authoritative rabbis in Europe to counteract the blood libel accusations put forth by Christians against the Jews. Further to the color of the wine, the Talmudic Sages stipulated that when making wine, the appearance of the wine juice had to have a redness to it in order for it to be considered wine (Babylonian Talmud, Gemara, Pesachim 108b).

Amount Of Wine For Each Of The 4 Cups

The amount of wine for each of the 4 Cups varies depending on one's custom, but at a minimum, each cup must hold at least 3.3 ounces (that is, U.S. ounces, which is equal to 3.43 U.K. ounces) or 97.59 mL (milliliters). The most popular custom is to have each cup hold at least 4.5 ounces U.S. (equal to 4.68 U.K. ounces) or 133.08 mL (milliliters) of wine, but some rabbinical authorities state that at least 5.5 ounces U.S. (equal to 5.72 U.K. ounces) or 162.65 mL (milliliters) of wine should be in each cup.

Who Pours The Wine For The Four Cups ?

To express and symbolize that one is both physically and politically free and to demonstrate that one is akin to royalty in this state of freedom, it is customary for the Seder participants not to pour their own wine but rather, have it poured by a non-Seder participant as a way of expressing the physical and political freedom the Seder participants have attained (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 473:1; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 119:2; Kaf HaChaim 473:31).

How Much Wine Should Be Drunk From Each Cup ?

According to the Shulchan Aruch HaRav, a Chassidic-Jewish codification of Jewish law by the 18th century Rebbe Shneur Zalman of Liadi, a small town in Imperial Russia (Rebbe is the Yiddish name for a rabbi in Chassidic Judaism; Rebbe Shneur Zalman was the founder of the Chabad branch of Chassidic Judaism), it is preferable to drink the entire cup (Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Orach Chayim 472:19), but according to the 16th century Shulchan Aruch by Rabbi Yosef Karo, it is sufficient to drink the majority of the cup (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 472:9).

History of the Four Cups of Wine

The history of the 4 Cups of Wine for the Seder dates back to Talmudic times (about 10 B.C.E. until 500 C.E.), when the Talmud was being compiled and codified, and the rules and rituals for each of the 15 ordered Steps that were necessary for properly conducting the Seder were being created and arranged. The Talmudic Sages created a rabbinic injunction that a Jewish person was obligated to drink 4 Cups of Wine during the Seder in a way (leaning or reclining to the left) that expresses their freedom (Babylonian Talmud, Gemara, Pesachim 108b, 117b). The drinking of Four Cups of Wine represents the most prominent rabbinical injunction or obligation or mitzvah to be performed during the Seder. Furthermore, each of the 4 Cups of Wine symbolizes a commandment or mitzvah I.E. an obligation to perform, unto itself (Babylonian Talmud, Gemara, Pesachim 109b-110a).

Why Must One Recline or Lean to the Left When Drinking The Four Cups of Wine? Why Not Recline or Lean to the Right or Not At All?

The Talmudic rabbis cautioned against reclining or leaning to the right when drinking the Four Cups of Wine or when drinking any other beverage or when eating because there was and is a greater danger of accidentally consuming the liquid or food down the windpipe or trachea when one is reclining or leaning toward the right. In addition, the custom of the Greeks and then Romans during the time of the Talmudic rabbis (the latter about 10 B.C.E. until 500 C.E.) was to drink and eat while reclining or leaning to the left, which symbolically indicated that the rulers of Judea - the Romans, who were preceded by the Greeks - were the only free people in Judea and so they were the only ones who were able to do that.

So, what is the purpose of the Four Cups of Wine? According to the Gemara of the Babylonian Talmud, the purpose of the Four Cups of Wine is to publicize the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt (Babylonian Talmud, Gemara, Pesachim 112a). In fact, the custom of drinking the Four Cups of Wine is one of the few mitzvot or commandments to be performed which fall into the category of "Pirsumei Nisa", meaning "Publicizing the Miracle (in this case, of the Exodus from Egypt)" in Hebrew (Maggid Mishnah to Hilchot Chanukah 4:12).

The Talmudic Sages were very adamant that all Jewish people - men, women, and children - should drink Four Cups of Wine during the Seder (Babylonian Talmud, Gemara, Pesachim 108b-109a). They even required the poorest of the poor to travel to a communal kitchen in order to get the 4 Cups of Wine (Babylonian Talmud, Gemara, Pesachim 99b, 112a). Women were obligated to drink Four Cups of Wine at the Seder because they too, were part of the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt (Babylonian Talmud, Gemara, Pesachim 108a-b).

How do the Four Cups of Wine of the Seder reflect the special relationship of the Hebrews/Jewish people vis-à-vis G-d? The ritual surrounding the first cup of wine demonstrates the special relationship that G-d bestowed on the Hebrews: the kiddush ["sanctification (of the Hebrews by G-d)" in Hebrew] blessing is recited over the first cup of wine; then the proof of that special relationship is demonstrated by telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt over the second cup of wine, a story in which G-d spared the Hebrews from the death of the first born and instead struck the Egyptians with this plague, as well as ultimately freeing the Hebrews from political and physical slavery in Egypt; then after every meal which includes either leavened or unleavened bread, we express gratitude to G-d for the bounty of the earth in a blessing called Birkat HaMazon ["Blessing of/for Food (or Sustenance)" or "Grace After Meals" in Hebrew] that in the Seder, is recited over the third cup of wine, and in this case, the focus is on the unleavened bread ("matzo" in Hebrew), which is associated with the nearness of G-d to the Hebrews during the 10th and final plague, for as G-d was skipping or jumping or passing over the households of the Hebrews, sparing them from the death of the first born, the Hebrews were preparing to leave Egypt in haste, and only had time to bake unleavened bread, thus the special connection between matzo, the Hebrews, and G-d, and our expression of gratitude with this relationship is reflected through the reciting of Birkat HaMazon over the third cup of wine; then finally, we express our gratitude for our special relationship with G-d that was expressed in the kiddush blessing by singing songs and hymns of praise to G-d, where these songs and hymns are collectively known as "Hallel" ("Praise" in Hebrew), and we sing these songs and hymns over the fourth cup of wine.

When do we drink each of the Four Cups of Wine? Immediately after the kiddush is recited, the first cup of wine is drunk; after the reading of the Exodus from Egypt story, the second cup of wine is drunk; after the reciting of the Grace After Meals or Birkat HaMazon blessing, the third cup of wine is drunk, and finally, after the singing of songs and hymns of praise to G-d, known as Hallel, the fourth cup of wine is drunk.

Why do we use wine as the drink for the Four Cups of Wine and for the Cup of Elijah? Wine has historically been viewed as the drink of royalty and also symbolizes freedom, since it was only those who were members of royalty in ancient times who were totally free, both politically and physically, and so we associate wine with the political and physical freedom given to the Hebrews by G-d with the Exodus from Egypt. While drinking each of the Four Cups of Wine, we do so in a reclining position to the left, which again symbolizes political and physical freedom, since it was only kings and queens who were able to do this in ancient times.

What do the Four Cups of Wine mean to us personally? Through each step in the Seder, on a spiritual level, we can experience personal redemption by leaving our personal "Egypt", that is, our personal slavery to our self-serving ways, and instead focus ourselves on the joy of serving G-d by using our G-d-given abilities to help others achieve their freedom from physical and political oppression so that they too, like the Hebrews, can emerge from oppression as a nation of politically and physically free people.

If a person cannot drink wine, then kosher-for-Passover grape juice can be used instead of wine. However, if one cannot drink grape juice or any kind of grape product, then one's rabbi should be consulted to determine which drink should be used to fulfill the rabbinical mitzvah or obligatory commandment from the ancient rabbis of drinking Four Cups of Wine at the Seder.